Review – LG Electronics Tone+ HBS-730 Bluetooth Headset

For the last few months I’ve been trying to get into a little better shape by going to the gym and trying to get out running. I am by no means hitting the weights like crazy or running any marathons, I simply want to get myself in better condition – thinking long term with the health and all. My main goal has been to do some local 5K runs, and I’ve done a couple, but I haven’t finished one without walking yet.

One of the most obnoxious things for me as I’m working out is the cord from my headphones. I love having some music to pace myself, or at least to drown out the noise at the gym. But the cord is always a hassle.

I’ve been looking around a lot for a good bluetooth headset to use without having to break the bank. There are lots of nice sets out there, but I’ve seen them up to $150. I didn’t want anything that fancy.

After reading around, I ended up with the LG Electronics Tone+ HBS-730. I read some complaints about how far away you can get from the device before it starts to cut out. I knew I would largely have my phone with me when I was working out so this wasn’t a concern. I did go ahead and test it out just to find out.

I left my phone in the kitchen and wandered the house. I went around a corner and down the hallway. I made it into the first bedroom before the audio started to cut out. I’d estimate I made it around 20 feet. Not too bad in my opinion, although my main purpose for this device was music.

Although I knew it wasn’t going to be my primary use, I did go ahead and try out a call. The person on the other end said my voice was kind of muffled. I’m not sure if this is because the microphone was on my neck, or because of something I was wearing (I had a sweatshirt on at the time).

As for battery life, the product description says it gets 10 hours of listening time. I know I went at least 6 hours of listening time, and it still said the battery life was high. I knew I wouldn’t likely be using the headset for more than a couple of hours in a single use, so this is perfect for me.

I found the HBS-730 to be pretty comfortable. Although it is a ring that goes around the neck, I barely noticed it. It does bounce some when I’m running, but I never found it to be overly distracting.

All-in-all, I find this device to be great. I haven’t had any issues with sweat on the device causing any issues. I tried this device with an iPhone 5S as well as a Motorola Droid 4. The only difference I noticed is that the audio was louder on the Droid 4 (when I had everything down to minimum volume).

If you want to get this device, check it out on Amazon below. And if you don’t have Amazon Prime, get free two-day shipping and try out a free 30-day trial here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/prime/signup/videos?tag=jaimwrit-20

Women’s NCAA Fresno Regional Championship Awards

In honor of the Women’s NCAA Final Four, I wanted to present my awards from the Fresno Regional Championships I went to last week.  But everyone gives awards to the players, so I’m going with the mascots!  Here are the awards as voted on by me:

Most Swagger – The Duke Blue Devil

This dude is arrogant.  He knows he’s a badass.  And he has a cape.  He has an aura about him that just says “Yeah, I’ve got big fake muscles, you ain’t got nothin’ on me!”
The Duke Blue DevilBest Dancer – Cocky from South Carolina 

This dude is kind of a dirty bird.  He can dance and he’s not afraid to show it off.  Plus he can flap that beak like a mad bird.
South Carolina's CockyMost Entertaining – The Stanford Tree 

The mascot for the Stanford Cardinal is…a tree.  But this is a lighthearted tree, just prancing around the court, putting in some dance moves here and there and skipping off the court.  Definitely not an intimidating mascot, but the tree brings the fun.
The Stanford TreeBest Lightning Bolts – Johnny from St. John’s 

Not much else to say.  He’s got lightning bolts on his head.  Ummm….yeah.
St. Johns Johnny